The invention relates to an electronic counting system which includes apparatus for the manual input of numerical values to which a counting system output is set. Specifically, the subject invention is directed to a counting system having a keyboard for the manual input of numerical values for setting the output value of the counting system.
Prior art electronic counting systems which have provisions for the manual input of initial count values generally accomplish such input by the use of coding switches or keyboards. The disadvantages of the use of coding switches include the amount of space required by their physical structure and the inconvenience of setting numerical wheels. Prior art of keyboard systems generally require complex and expensive circuitry. Moreover, prior art systems having coding switches or keyboards are usually limited in flexibility with respect to the capibility of performing calculations for determining the value to be manually applied to the up-down counter of the counting system.
It is therefore an object of this invention to provide an improved keyboard type input system for use with an up-down counter.
Still another object of the present invention is to provide an improved electronic counting system with a keyboard input system which is capable of performing calculations for determining the numerical value to be applied manually to the up-down counter of the counting system.
A further object of the present invention is to provide an improved keyboard type input system for the manual input of numerical values to an up-down counter, which input system includes the capabilities of performing calculations for the determination of the numerical input values.